CLIQUE

About two months ago my agent sent me an email and asked me if I had any short film scripts to submit to a special program Tribeca was starting for women filmmakers.   I didn't.  I feel like I'm writing a short film nearly every week with our Black&Sexy episodes, but that's with the help of a talented staff.  My only solo project was a feature length script in the works.  

But wait - let me read those pages.  I'm proud of those pages - and those pages could absolutely stand alone as a short film since I stopped writing at a milestone in the story.  So, I sent it over and for the most part didn't think about it much after.  Then some weeks later I got the call that I had been selected.  I squealed.  It feels good to be hand selected by Paula Weinstein and friends, and the more I looked into this inaugural program the more excited I became.

Sponsored by Chanel - um yes - the leadership at Tribeca said - we are going to stop talking about what to do about moving women forward - we are going to start doing something about it now.  In a real way. With all the prestige, respect, and opportunity that a program like this needs.

From there they curated 3 days of 1 on 1 mentorship & master classes with incredible women - filmmakers, writers, producers, actresses, who share not only the top accolades in the industry - but friendships between them that have spanned over years . They opened this intimate circle to us - 7 women total with six distinct projects, stories and perspectives.   Now we have a circle within that circle that will span over our careers as we lean on them and each other for advice and assistance.

That's what I'm talking about.

Now, I've never been one for cliques. I like to say you CAN sit with me. At the same time I have high expectations for the women & men I surround myself with.  I'm persistent in my encouragement of whatever their desire and path is, and sometimes - unsolicited-  I'll voice what I see as being possible for them. This is my Nostradamus inclination (we share the same birthday) and the women & men I break bread with most can count on me to be excited for them and actively supportive. 

I'd like to think this past few days of feeling so welcome was some of my good karma kicking in.  

Now it's time for me to live up to the expectations that have been handed my way, and this is a challenge I won't be backing down from.

Check out my new filmmaker friends - Kat Coiro, Anna Martemucci, Christina Voros, Roja Gashtili, Julia Lerman, Vera Miao. 

& the lovely blog post about the entire program from Tribeca

Above photos by Delphine Diallo New York, NY October 2015 for Tribeca Film Institute

POWER

I love power in all its forms.  It's a dangerous thing to love because the abuse of it is all too common.

 Absolute power corrupts absolutely.  

Great wo/men are almost always bad wo/men. 

Well behaved women seldom make history.  

These quotes and our contemporary society give a conflicting message. We are supposed to own our power, yet know innately that we will most likely behave badly due to it. Don't be afraid of your power, but also don't admit to enjoying it.  Be modest or be damned.

I had the fortune of being trained as an actor & artist by the late Milton Katselas. Huge Personality, High Standards, Big Ego.  When he arrived to teach class a standing ovation from us students was a mandatory ritual.  After his death someone gave a speech about how he wouldn't have been able to train as many stars as he had without that ego.  He wasn't battling their celebrity - these actors were often times just getting their start - he had a prophetic nature about him in terms of identifying how far certain talents could possibly go, and even those people with bright futures needed their engines ignited. I realized his power fueled them  - it was used in service of others. 

 From that moment on I had clarity on the need, practicality and joy of what power can deliver. There's a broad palette and you can paint it many ways - but power is an art form to be discovered & channeled for a greater good.  

** as I was looking up an article to link to Milton's name I see that he died  exactly 7 years ago on this day October 24.  Rest in Power. ** 

Photo by J. Quazi King Brooklyn NY 2013

FORSAKEN

When you enter my home - aka Black&Sexy HQ  you will find a most atypical office setting.  A large table overflowing with production work, school work, random beauty items, and other well meaning clutter.  The couches were both found on the street, benches double as coffee tables, and almost everything is an odd end.  The most curious item that we often get questions about is what are those photos on the wall?  People are either intrigued or repelled by the series which I call - Forsaken. 

I created the work for an art auction to raise money for a documentary about the child soldier and sex slave crises in Uganda circa 2007.  I wanted to give some visual reference in a still story form to echo what the film would depict.  The work also expresses my feelings about too many women in the world who are invisible, disappearing, or hiding due to shame and oppression.

A friend trusted me to photograph her nude in the woods and it took me a very long night to edit and select these exact images that would make the final cut.  I mounted each photo by hand on 2 custom cut panels of wood and sold my very first prints and work of art that night.  Now several of these prints are being archived at the Getty Research Institute.  I love having the original work in a place where so many see it when they come by, it never ceases to have an impact, or raise questions. 

DIVORCE

Once upon a time I lived the whirlwind of a short lived marriage.  He was intelligent, I was impetuous.  He was French - I am Haitian.  He was conservative,  I'm a moderate liberal.  Perhaps our union was doomed from the start, but our love, friendship, and willfulness pushed us forward. His world and mine weren't ones we would anticipate intersecting - yet our chance meeting at a restaurant made for the perfect - how'd you two meet? - story.

When cracks surfaced I thought they were charming like the weathered leather on my favorite jacket. I'd even lean into it for something too good to be true was just not for me.  I expected trouble, therefore there was trouble. And I know I caused trouble. 

Separating and then divorcing brought pain and relief at the same time.  A most peculiar blend of emotions, that I hadn't felt again until recently. Once I realized what these current feelings reminded me of I felt a sudden comfort and confidence that I could experience this and come out the other side.  Giving myself permission to feel deeply was a great moment.

I read a great blog from Mikki Bey about her recent appearance on Shark Tank where she was reprimanded quite harshly by investor Barbara Corcoran telling her to cry in private and not bring any tears into business.   Mikki wasn't crying to manipulate her employees - she was having a human moment in a high stakes competition where her business - therefore her life in many ways was on the line. I reached out immediately to lend my support.

For all the entrepreneurs running a business - not a hustle- a BUSINESS.  It's ok to feel, It's ok to express your feelings.  (Alright alright hustlers can feel too)  But we need more human beings.  You risk a lot in showing up that way, but the alternative is masking yourself to the point of not recognizing who you really are anymore.  Then what happens to your contribution?

The pain of my divorce taught me that I could weather rough emotional turbulence. Building an enterprise requires this skill set. So I thank my former husband  for that.  As an added bonus I was able to sell the wedding ring to pay and feed the cast and crew of Roomieloverfriends.  I'm nothing if not resourceful.  :)

Photo by Nkrumah for CRWN Magazine.  Leimert Park, Los Angeles CA  Floral Maxi & Taupe Sunnies by Forever 21. Vintage Bug by Volkswagen.

TEETH

Know when to smile.  Know when to bite.

Know when to let go.  Know when to fight.

Know when to stand up.  Know when to fall.

Know when to slither.  Know when to crawl.

- TEETH -  a haiku of sorts - by Numa Perrier

and I highly recommend the book Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. 

Photo  by StarrKyss New York, NY October, 2015.  Rolly Dress by Sandro.  Vintage Pumps from Out of The Closet

Q + A

I met Kwesi Abbensetts when I was living part time in New York City. Circa 2008. At the time neither of us were parents.  We had other things in common like exploring our artistry with different experimental projects.  He was in the earlier days of his photography work, and I was making films and designing Miss Numa Gloves.   He photographed the look book for my lace collection and we became fast friends.  We both have daughters now - their birthdays are just days apart, and we both are more defined as artists, yet still trying new things as restless creatives do. 

My entire last week has been full of excitement and reaping a really good crop that came from careful planting over the years. I'm glad to be in this new phase - it's a good one, and has me really appreciating my friends - from different walks of life - many in creative fields, all making really solid contributions across the board.

Kwesi wanted to do this spontaneous interview with me on a lazy Sunday last summer.  I giggled through most of it - but he got me to open up - like good friends do about a host of things. Here it is - if you please, thoughts on mother hood, the meaning of life, and what I really think about the term "black artist."  

Excerpt:

KA: Sometimes I ask this question to other people. Do you consider…How do you feel about the phrase black artists? Not to get into the politics of black and white…

NP: I love this question because every time it’s asked of me I feel differently about it. Sometimes when I'm asked that question I feel like.. well I am Black. I am an Artist. So I’m a black artist, sure. Other times I feel like well I’m a mother and I'm black, but I don’t call myself a black mother.  You know? My parenting and my love for my daughter and me being a mom to her - I don't feel that that is so informed by me being black. When I think about it in those terms I feel like, well I'm an artist and I’m not a black artist. 

KA: Does it feel like it is sort of a maligning of.. or reducing?

NP: No, I think sometimes the label is used in a reductive way. So I think that that is the resistance that many artists have towards it. It’s seen as you're put in a subcategory now, and now we’re going to view your work in this lens.  In the black culture now you have to deal with that lens. It’s a moral lens and it’s an aesthetic lens. I don't care for other peoples lenses on my work. So, that’s the part I have a resistance to. My work is very racial... it can be racially political. It’s definitely dealing with issues pertaining to myself as a woman, as a black woman, as a Haitian woman. I definitely deal with those things that’s why I always feel different every time someone asks me that question.

Photos by Kwesi Abbensetts. Brooklyn, NY 2014. Wrap & Sunnies provided by Kwesi.  Sandals by  H&M

DARE

I attended at least 7 different schools throughout my primary education - rarely staying anywhere for more than 2 years.  Sometimes my family would move to another city right in the middle of a semester making a mess out of credits and GPA's.  This was not due to military re stationing - the folklore says my adoptive parents were trying to stay ahead of my biological parents who often threatened to come to take us back.  This all sounds a bit dangerous and romantic -  I don't know if it's true.  I stopped trying to make sense of it some time ago. 

These experiences built a few things in me.  I've always been the new kid on the block. Young human beings have a hard time being welcoming so I learned to love it when it happened, but never to rely on that.  Yes, I'm new - I've entered this space and I probably won't do or be like anything that was here before.  I was naturally non conformist.  Not out of rebellion - I just never stayed anywhere long enough to be set in any absolutes.  I did and I wore what I liked.  I was surprised when I was teased for these things like wearing a polyester jump suit and penny loafers with real pennies in them.   There is an attitude in the world that says, "How DARE you be different."  This has always perplexed me. 

Today in my work as an artist in front and behind the camera, and in my leadership role in my business, these themes are still ever present.  There is still a framework, a way things have always been done, and if you disrupt that even by your mere presence - you will encounter opposition.  This opposition may come from people you deeply admire as they draw out their correct way in approaching things.  This opposition will mostly likely always come from at least one person in your family trying to discourage you in a loving way.  This opposition will come some days when you look in the mirror and see your own doubts reflected back to you. 

Because I've had this experience so many times as a child I built a resilience to endure this.  It's a type of default bravery.  As an adult now I've met people who I can call dear friends and allies who understand and demonstrate support and encouragement.  I don't allow anyone else to occupy significance in my life.  This is my strongest advice for keeping your path clear & un muddied.  Move forward with the knowingness that there is a space for you.  You continue to create it with every forward motion. 

Photo by Dennis Dortch. Dallas Texas, September 2015.  Denim Blouse by Zara, Denim Trousers by TopShop.  Always working on my MacBook Pro.

fEMME

I don't remember being a tomboy at all.  Yeah, I played T-Ball and was forced to join the basketball team in junior high (black girl long legs must play), but I loved glamorous things like makeup and big earrings, so when my mom would say, "You're not very feminine" - I didn't know what she meant at all. I've always seen the world in ways I deem quite female - I've accepted the gaze of others as part of the fabric of my existence, I've played with deliberately and unwittingly the effects of my voice & shape on both sexes, and I've welcomed the process of motherhood as only my gender can do.

I was raised in the Bahai Faith and taught from a very young age that the equality of men and women was absolutely needed for the advancement of civilization.  "The persistent denial of equality to one-half of the world’s population is an affront to human dignity."

Nuff said.  This is the type of language and theory that I've been reading since childhood.  The word feminist was introduced to me later, and I always had a hard time feeling included. Feminist doctrine advocates the equality of women and men - women meaning white women.  So I steered away from this labeling for that reason, and because my own basic survival needs had me very confused about what I believed my role should be in a relationship, family or the world.  These are common internal struggles that I hope get settled at younger and younger ages for all girls. 

I whipped through Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's book - We Should All Be Feminists in a matter of minutes.  Yes, I read fast, but it's a quickie at 48 pages - an adaption from a well received speech she gave at  TEDxEuston.  It's intimate and very smart without being heady - which I love.  She never ingratiates herself to win you over- she simply states the facts via her own personal parables. Her stories were inclusive in a way that I've never experienced before.  Her title went from feeling aggressive & pointedly bold - to warm and embracing, nearly maternal. She brought her femininity to her point of view. 

So though my mother didn't see it, or perhaps in spite of this - femininity is something I've never avoided, couldn't if I tried, and the expression of it is a strong thread of my creative process.

I made my second short film with these concepts in mind.  The rituals of femininity, the search for oneself through experiences of relationships that have come and gone, travel, and solitude. I call it La Petite Mort.  The most visceral of the feminine experiences.

Photo of Numa by Dennis Dortch - September 2015, Los Angeles CA.  

La Petite Mort  2009. Written & Directed by Numa Perrier - Starring Erica Pitts - Cinematography Tabbert Fiiller - Editor Dennis Dortch - Original Music by Henry Willis - Filmed in Watts CA

PEDIGREE

Adoption.  It's not something most people can relate to.  There's a lot of romanticizing around it, a lot of critique, and a cruel sort of ostracism ballooning the innate emotional effects.  After my post last week a question kept popping up from some of you out here reading.  Who is Tiffany? 

I am Tiffany.  I am also Numa.  My adoption and reunion with my biological family caused a doubling - I suddenly had two mothers, two fathers, and two names. 

I remember a California judge finalized my adoption - I stood with my siblings and parents in the court house- the wood paneling and furnishings seemed to speak with added authority as I heard the pronouncement that I belonged here with this family- all punctuated by the dull thud of the gavel. It was law. 

Tiffany means the appearance of the goddess, and Numa means spirit, or in some translations - breath. Tiffany is one of the most feminine names, and Numa is regarded as a mans name in most parts of the world.  

People change their last names often due to ceremony - marriage- or reclaiming their identities in divorce.  I embraced Numa as I do most things - by intuition.  It just felt right and I moved on from there.  This is similar to how I feel about branding.  It all starts with the name.  From there you pick up pace. Does it catch  attention and feel good to say?  Then you have a winner. 

I love and relate to vintage icons Eartha Kitt & Marilyn Monroe - both adopted, both took on new names or variations on their own.  It's all part of piecing yourself together when life hands you fragments.  There is nothing you can't name, build, and define for yourself.  Create your own pedigree.

Photo of Numa by Dennis Dortch, 2015  Los Angeles, CA  Gingham Dress by Forever Vintage Photo of Eartha Kitt & Marilyn Monroe - Unknown Photographer.

The Haitian political history of my name NUMA is well documented in Edwidge Danticat's aptly titled CREATE DANGEROUSLY.   Click here for a brilliant excerpt

Judi

I skipped college.  Didn't drop out.  Just skipped it completely.  Never applied.  At the time I was dealing with the decline of my mothers health.  I was her primary care giver, administering her insulin shots twice a day, assisting with her mobility as she was wheelchair bound, and being her eyes for her daily experience - her diabetic glaucoma had claimed her vision. Like most mothers and daughters our relationship was textured with the soft elements of love and the brusque expressions of dependency.  Neither of my parents graduated from high school, so academia was never ingrained in our household.  Still, learning was always exciting to me.  I was often in the library reading at lunch, more of an eclectic sort than a nerd, pondering the meaning of life and being fascinated by different cultures.  About every two years my family moved so I felt no allegiance towards any group, mascot, or city.  I've always moved in my own lane with my own mode of transpo. 

When my Mom died - I felt as if the air had been sucked out of me.  Nothing could prepare me for the impact, the despondency, the grief that slammed into me with a blunt force.  She was gone.   As was my father, as were two of my brothers.  Too many losses. Writing it now I feel again the twist in my belly, the tension and grip of hanging on to the memories. I slowly crawled out of the pain and eventually regained focus.  I never lost sight of what I wanted in life, but I was operating in a numb blur. 

Some years later I was able to make a film that extracted the memories of my relationship to my mother.  I wanted to carve out the emotional tapestry of my perspective.  This was my first film made with the close collaboration of friend Taye Hansberry.  I knew very little about cameras and editing at the time, but this project was a milestone for my expansion as an artist. It was the first time I put the voice of my writing into a visual form.  Here it is.    Judi : A Series of Memories. 

Photo of Numa by Dennis Dortch, 2015 Manhattan NY, Grand Hyatt Hotel.  Romper by TopShop Canvas Peds by H&M.   MacBook Pro by Apple.

PEAK

Consistency.  Every good, worthy, sustainable thing needs it.  A day, a time, a place you can rely on.   We knew once we launched Black&Sexy TV there would be no looking back.  Keep stacking the bricks.  Challenges in the form of people, doubts and overall murky outlooks will present themselves. The biggest challenge in launching this network was very, very few people truly believed in it.  Even those we worked with closely had an undercurrent of dismissal or low self esteem when it came to what we were pursuing.  If that stings a little I may be talking about you - whoops - yeah it's ok.  In my life I've encountered that so many times - the scent of defeat before commencement. I wear this little invisible gas mask that shields me from that stank.   We researched, we consulted, we thought about it, we fought about it, and finally we launched the damn thing.  As simple as posting one video and asking others to share it so it could multiply. Black&Sexy Baby.  And now it's been almost 4 years of consistent out put - consistent communication, consistent building of first a foundation - and now a design, an architecture, a framework that's filling itself in with images, emotions, and human beings that contribute to its prosperity. 

I start my day with what I call mini meditations. Breathe in breathe out - be happy that's happening - today will be good - good.  White light, white light-  gold light, gold light.   Beauty tip- meditating golden light gives you luminous skin.  Don't believe me?  Try it for 30 days.  I don't use anything else on my face. All you need is cleanser and light from within.   It's already there.  Meditation enhances it.  I promise.  I often wake up in between my 4 year old and Dennis in a semi claustrophobic haze grappling for my phone.  Then I scan through Inc, Entrepreneur, NY Times Business and Fast Company Twitter accounts for info on this and that.  Sometimes it's all fluff and other times I get some really good advice or confirmations about the creative process of running a business.  You must understand that it is absolutely a creative process no matter what industry you work in. You are taking something that you feel to be possible and making it into mass, energy, dollars and cents.  You are creating.  Money is creation. Nurture your creation with consistency. If you're a woman - that is your advantage - don't buy into the opposite reality.  If you are a man - learn from how women approach things - we often skip the text book way and feel our way through things leaving people a little stunned at the results.  At Black&Sexy we have a good balance of men and women working alongside each other.  I'm really proud of this and I love the tug and pull of our varied perspectives - and I really love when it's all flying and there's this seamless understanding. 

There are so many details around how we got to the point we are at.  I'm happy to answer questions.  I'm most excited about discussing things that are happening now, yet will keep adding to my look at our company and my personal history as well.  Art is a central focus of my day to day experience, style is something I am always exploring and reinventing for myself, and business is a really great functional game that I love.   See you all next week for more.  

Short Night - Self Portrait 2013.  Brooklyn NY Aloft Brooklyn    I wear MAC & NARS lip colors. As promised no make up on my skin just golden light which you can't bottle or buy but we all have access to it. 

PRESSURE

Out of money. Out of time. You can go to business school, but you won’t really learn until you launch your company.  You can read What to Expect When You're Expecting,   but you know nothing until that first contraction hits you.  I remember bouncing on my big blue exercise ball trying to get Baby Rockwelle to come on already.  I was two days past my due date and I was making an executive decision to get this moving.  I felt a lot of pressure to do things right. To endure pain without medication, to deliver this child with grace, to be up on my feet rapidly.

After about 20 hours of labor I chucked all these ideas out and just focused on giving birth and hearing Rockwelle cry.  This would signal to me that she was alive and healthy. Nothing else mattered and I made Dennis promise not to let me pass out so I could hear her cries myself.  Great relief overcame me when I did hear her wails and Dennis told me she was ok, I was ok and it was all going to be ok.  His calm demeanor gave me confidence.  My fears were gone.  Fear often amplifies when you are not in action. Once you get into the situation you’re too busy moving forward to focus on fear. I was now in the first moments of being a mother and I’ve been learning on the job ever since.

A few days after bringing Rockwelle home we knew we needed to get back to work.  Roomieloverfriends was incomplete.  We had to do a second round of asking for money.  This time fewer people for a higher amount.  We told them we were almost near completion and our closest allies agreed to help.  At 5 weeks old Rocky was on set (on my boob)  as we wrapped up the last two days of filming,  It was in the can and Dennis was immediately getting into the edit. A few weeks later we screened it for cast and crew.  We loved it.  We knew it was special.  We also knew it wasn’t perfect, but we still felt ready for our first network meeting.  It was with Showtime.  We needed a sitter.

I was nervous.  What would I wear, how should I act - I felt a sense of powerlessness masked by excitement.  The set up is they better approve of you, your work, and your potential.  It’s very easy to forget that these executives are real people often seeking to be creative themselves.  As confident as I knew I should be - I just wasn’t.  I felt small in those big offices.  Dennis had taken some meetings previously after his Sundance debut, so he was more collected. By the time they called us in ( a lot of times they make you wait a bit in the lobby) I felt a little relaxed. We sat down - the execs liked what we had done.  Could we do more?  Add more characters maybe? -get some name actors attached- what other ideas and projects did we have?  It was a long meeting which is a good sign and we tried not to let it show that we needed to get back to our sitter soon.

We made it home feeling accomplished that we had established good relationships.  We knew enough to know that that doesn’t happen easily so we celebrated that piece of it.  What we didn’t know was that one of the executives we met with was leaving the company and the other executive was moving to a different department.  Networks go through cyclical regime changes and they were in the midst of one. So Roomielover went back on a hard drive.

Next week I’ll tell you about how we dusted off those hard drives with two years of footage on them and launched Black&Sexy TV.

Photo by Sune Woods. Vintage Dress, Gloves by Miss Numa, Booties from American Rag Shot at the Snooty Fox Motel,  Los Angeles CA 2011.

PUSH

8 months pregnant here.  This was one of the most creative times in my life.  It sounds bohemian, but I don't intend to use the word - creative- as a whimsical glaze as if things were OK on all fronts.  During this time I was scared.  I was emotionally volatile.  I was frightened and anxious to be a motherless mother. I was not raised by my biological mother, and my adoptive mother passed away when I was 19.  I was experiencing the dualities of excitement and worry.  I often felt isolated and resented the constant poking and prodding of others as they watched me blossom my own blossom.  These feelings were persistent and at a very tangible peak when I took this photo of myself.  I was able to tuck these emotions away in spurts as I worked with my partner - Dennis Dortch,  on writing & producing the pilot for what would become our top viewed series from BLACK&SEXY TV -  Roomieloverfriends. 

Roomielover is based on a time when I lived with a guy friend - one night slept with him, and proceeded to fall into the "what does it mean???" phase.  That one night turned into habitual occasions complicating our lives and everyone else we were dealing with.  Years later I was able to carefully reveal to Dennis the  parts of the story I felt our fairly new relationship could handle.  He was intrigued, maybe a little turned on, and keeping it all business -  felt it should be a series.  I agreed.  

A few months later some make up sex with Dennis resulted in pregnancy. Passion fuels creation!  This news served as a motivator to get the pilot made on our own - no matter what.  Prior to that we were trying to figure out the whole pitching game and taking meetings and phone calls here and there - hoping someone would give us money to film.  I view going after networks to pitch like inviting yourself to a guys house to see if he might want to marry you.  It makes no sense to me. Even if they agree to do it it's never the same as being asked.  At the time we had filmed with our team the early minisodes of The Couple as well as some skits called Awkward Phone Calls - they were sitting on hard drives because we had nowhere to distribute all of this short form work.  Roomielover would be a half hour, larger scale project, so we needed more money.  For awhile we thought that the only way to do it was to convince some singular entity to give us the funds & thereby permission.

My pregnancy immediately had me thinking less and feeling more.  I suddenly remembered my greatest resource - my intuition.  If I felt it was right to move forward - that was all I needed to know.  I announced to Dennis that I wanted us to do it on our own.  We were in the kitchen at the time, the same room I told him I was pregnant in.  He had a similar reaction - a nod of the head and an OK.  That OK is the sound of the first wheel turning in his brain. I always hear it as an early yes because I'm pushy.  For this I do not apologize for  all creations require pushing.  

So, Dennis and I sat down and made a list of every single person we knew who might give us $40.  Then we went into separate rooms and called each one - no emails, no texting - only real phone calls asking our friends and family to support us as people.  We didn't even talk much about what the project was.  Nearly every person gave us the money or more.  We had called on our second greatest resource - Relationships. 

By the time my due date was approaching we completed the writing, casting, and filmed 2/3 of the script.  We were out of money and Baby Rockwelle was on the way. 

Next week I'll talk about what we did about that and how I faced my greatest fear - child birth. 

See you Saturday morning 8am. Cali time.

Much love,

Numa

Brands pictured here are IKEA furnishings in the background, Target towel on my head and a Leica Dlux  camera in my hands.  Self Portrait. 2011.  I included this photo in part of my PRETTY LITTLE MESS photo and text series which exhibited  at the Center for Sex and Culture in San Francisco October 2014.